Black-headed Whistler

Perky, long-legged songbird that winters in areas with dense understory coverage, often near wet areas; breeds in open taiga and highland forest clearings. Shy, tends to stay hidden. Pale brown above, whitish below, with olive-brown flanks and pale supercilium. Adult male has the namesake jewel-like red throat, bordered in black and white; younger male may have a hint of red, while female lacks red. Often droops wings and cocks tail upright. Variable melodic song consists of beautiful warbling and occasional mimicry; calls include low, hoarse “chuk” and high “chelee.”

Fairly small, long-tailed hawk with broad, rounded wings (not pointed like kestrels). Soars occasionally, but more often seen in quick hunting flight chasing small birds, or perched quietly in shade. Note golden-yellow eyes, barred underparts (barring grayish on female, rusty on male). Juvenile brownish above through first year. Smaller and much less bulky than Northern Goshawk, and with horizontally barred instead of vertically striped underparts. Occurs in woodland, forest, farmland, and urban areas with hedges and wooded patches; sometimes hunts in gardens.

A rare, medium-sized honeyeater of foothill forest in northern New Guinea. Fairly uniform, brown plumage with a white ear spot and light mottling below. Forages singly for insects and doesn’t really visit flowering trees. The only other similar species with a white ear spot is Scrub honeyeater which is found more in scrub than forest and is green with an orange gape. Call, an upslurred “weep” is diagnostic.